Training update - San Francisco Marathon

I had to admit that I have been pretty lazy lately with my blogging. I seemed to have had more time when I was on maternity leave. But now, with work and taking care of the kids full time when I'm at home leaves me very little time to blog.

I have been plugging away at training for marathon #2 San Francisco Marathon for the past few months. It has been a tough go with training this time around as I will be running with marathon on my own. It was supposed to be a family vacation but plans were changed and I will now be heading down to San Francisco on my own just to run the race.

Checking out the SF Course 

I pulled out the training plan I had used for my first marathon and have been trying my best to follow along. I have tried to keep up with running while away on my layovers. I usually loose a day or two with all the flying, but thank goodness for hotel gyms and the nice summer weather. I have been able to get out in some fantastic cities and pound the pavement.

Running along the Hudson River, NYC

I have had a hard time with the mental aspect of training this time around. I am finding it very difficult to get out there of my long runs and I am always doubting myself with every step I take. I am very fortunate to have friends understand me and have helped me along the way. 

My last 2 long runs were over 30km's. I had one girlfriend ride her bike with me on one of the runs and another friend ran 20 km. I am certain that I would have not been able to do it without them. I was hoping that I would be faster this year as I am not nursing my baby and carrying a little less weight, but my legs just seem to not work when I want them to. My pace has been quite a bit slower than last year as I have been  comparing most of my long runs, but I have been getting all new personal bests with each race that I have ran this year. 

I truly understand what people mean now when they say that it's all in your head......

I think part of the reason is that I know that I will not have a personal best on this course as it is hilly. I am quite terrified of hills and would do tempo and speed workouts until I throw up than run hills. I'm not sure what I was thinking when I signed up, but I guess it's too late now. I just want to finish to cross the finish line with a smile on my face and upright.

I began to taper after my last LONG run this past Monday and will have one last longish run this Sunday. I am happy that the training plan only calls for 15km. I am looking forward to tapering and getting ready for race weekend.

Have a GREAT weekend..

Are you training for any races right now?

How do you deal with the mental part of running when your brain tells you that you can't do it?

Niagara Falls Women's Half Marathon - Race Recap

Sorry for the late race report. I've gotten super lazy and busy, so here goes....

I signed up for the Niagara Falls Women's Half Marathon during their early bird registration last year with a number of my girlfriends who had been wanting to run a "destination" race. Some of the ladies that signed up had been running for years, others were new runners and for one lady, it was going to be her first.

I had read another review from a fellow runner who's wife had run it the previous year and it sounded like a fantastic race. Katherine Switzer was going to be there for the weekend and the swag included a bottle of wine.... what more could I ask for???

By the time race weekend came, there were only 4 of us that raced. We decided to get a room in Niagara Falls the day before the race so that we could have a girl's weekend.

View from Our Room

We checked into our fabulous hotel with the fantastic view and headed straight out for packet pickup. Packet pickup was located at a local mall and we got there close to the end of the day and the lineup was RIDICULOUS!!!

Runners waiting for bib pickup, it looped around the mall

I have been to many packet pickups and this was by far the worst. There wasn't really an expo, just a few vendors and the stores that were located in the mall. We waited for over a hour to get our bibs. Thank goodness for the good company of good friends and fellow runners. When it was finally our turn, I figured out why it had taken us so long.  Each runner had to give a their bib number to a volunteer to get their bib and continue to move around the room to each station to pick up the swag each item individually.

The swag was pretty good. The wine was the best part. There are 9 items in my photo plus the shirt, which meant I had to go to 10 different people plus the first person gave me my bib, so total 11 people. It seemed very disorganized to me and sloppy. At the end of all the swag item pick up, Katherine Switzer was there with her books. All the ladies ahead of us had stopped to take photos with her which was the main reason to why the line was so long and not moving. By the time we got to her, she was instructed that no photos were allowed and that if we were to purchase her book, she would sign it. BOO!!

When we finally got our goodies, we hightailed out of there for some retail therapy. After spending some quality time at some of our favourite stores, we headed to stuff our faces and celebrate with a pre race beverage. 

Group shot before the race

We got a good night's rest and was excited to get racing the next morning. We decided to take a cab to the start, but was dropped off about 2km from the start because the traffic into the start area was back up and the cab driver told us it would be faster if we walked. The start and finish line was in a really nice park, but only had one lane going into the parking lot, which made the wait even longer. We saw a lot of runners doing the same thing as we were.

We made it to the start line with 2 minutes to spare, the announcer told us that they were going to delay the start due to the back up of cars trying to get into the parking lot. 

Flowers in the port-o-potty

Funny Sign by the start/finish line

I wished my girlfriends a great race and placed myself with the 1:50 pacer. I know it was a bit ambitious of me, but I wanted to push myself and see how I would do. I had taken a look at the course map and it seemed fairly flat with water stations spread out quite evenly. I decided to not carry water and relay on the water stations. 

I tried to keep up with the pacer but she was going much faster than I had anticipated. She had said that she was taking advantage of the slight downhill at the beginning of the race and was going to eventually slow down the pace. I kept up with her for the first 5 km at a 5:13 pace, then gave up and decided to keep on my comfortable race pace. The course was right along Niagara Falls. The views were beautiful. The mist off the falls was very refreshing as the sun was starting to get pretty intense. The course took you past the falls twice as you had to go out and back to pass the start/finish line. I was able to position myself in a pretty good corral, so there were not many runners crowding the roads. There were only a total of 1995 runners that took part in the race. There were a few of us that stayed together for a good part of the race trying to keep a good pace. I was able to see my friends at the turnaround points. After the 7 km mark, it got a bit lonely as the course took you right along the Niagara River. There was no shade and the sun just beat down on us. I grabbed water at every water station as I had decided to not carry water this race. The water stations were plentiful and always had great volunteers cheering us on.

Still smiling

I was running alone for most of the race and ended up running a few kilometres with a fellow runner at my pace. It was nice to chat with someone to kill some time. I had run my first few half marathons with my best friend and we would always chat. But, for the past few races, I've raced alone and it's been lonely to say the least. We chatted about where we were from and kept each other going. I eventually looked down at my Garmin and knew that I needed to pick up my pace. I bid her a good race and ran on.

The second turnaround point was around the 14km mark. I was so relived to be finally turning back and heading back to the finish line. I knew that I still have a lot more distance to cover, but at least I was close to finishing. I knew at this point, I was not going to get my 1:50 finish. I had slowed down to a 5:30 pace.  It's true when they say running is a mental sport, because all I could think about was how in the world was I going run the San Francisco marathon in a month. I was starting to doubt myself, but when I saw my friends again, I knew that I could do it.  I was headed to San Francisco the next day for a layover and was going to try to run part of the marathon course. I knew that I needed to shake off the negative thoughts and plod on.

As I came down the final stretch I saw the finish line in sight. It seemed like the longest 500 metres I had ever seen. The crowds were cheering and I knew that I was almost there. I tried to pick up my feet and chased down whoever was running  in front of me. I closed my eyes and ran as fast as my legs would carry me. I crossed with Katherine Switzer giving me a high five and got my one of a kind medal. There was a nice snack from from Tim Hortons with cookies and fruit as I was exiting the finish corral. I was able to get a nice massage. There were tables were set up with table cloths and bowls of candies for runners and friends to sit and enjoy some food and water.

Katherine Switzer is on my medal

It was a great weekend with my girlfriends. There were some very nice touches to this race. If you're looking for a fun and nice small race, this one is for you.

Fun Group shot

Results

Time 1:54:42 (PB)

Pace 5:27

Category Place 28/372

Gender Place 138/1979 (yes, men are allowed to run)

Where have you raced lately?

How do you deal with the mental part of running? 

Sporting Life 10K for Mother's Day

The Sporting Life 10k has become a yearly tradition for my friends and I. It is one of the largest 10k races in the city and sold out this year at 27,000 participants. The race is presented by Nike which provides are pretty nice tech shirt and the race raises money for Camp Oochigeas, a camp for kids affected by childhood cancer.

Many people were disappointed after last year's race as there were a number of things that went wrong. They appointed a new race director, Cory Freeman and under her leadership, the race went off seamlessly this year. The biggest blunder last year for me was the bottle neck at the finish. I was unable to cross the finish line last year because people had stopped just as the finished and stood around waiting for their friends.

My hubby and I along with our friends were signed up as a team under my running buddy's Chiropractic Clinic - Team Active Body Chiropractic. We were all provided with lovely tech shirts and wore them proudly on race day. 

Group Shot

This race is known to many runners as the fastest 10k you will ever run as it is completely downhill. I had raced a 10k the week before and was hoping to finish this race in the 50 minutes give or take. 

I had a terrible experience with the bag check last year as it was located pretty far up from the start line and was completely unorganized. People were throwing their bags at the volunteers because the lines were so long and the race was about to start. 

This year, the baggage check was organized into your bib numbers/corral colours. Each truck was clearly marked and volunteers were plenty. It took barely a minute for me to drop off my bag. 

The weather was perfect this year, the sun was shining, there wasn't a lot of wind and we were not freezing like the previous year. It was going to be a great day for racing.

Good luck kiss

I kissed hubby as the start time was quickly approaching. With 27,000 runners, you have to make sure you're in the corrals in time for your start. I got into my corral with two others from our group and wished them all well.

Look at all those people in my coral 

It's overwhelming to see so many runners in front and behind you. I gave my buddies a high five and away we went. I tried to keep up with my speedy friend, but lost him about 1km into the race. People were flying by. I just tried to stick with a nice steady pace.

LOTS of water 

The sun was shining, the runners were speedy and the water stations were plentiful. Each water station I passed was well equipped with water and volunteers. I was trying to hold onto my pace of 5:00 minutes per kilometre but was quickly losing steam. I still have a lot more to learn about pacing for a 10 km race. I checked my watch at the 5km mark and I was at 25:27. I knew I would have to pick it up if I wanted to finish in 50 minutes. I really tried, but my legs just didn't have it.

Just after crossing the finish

I finally came to the last kilometre and saw the finish line ahead. There was no crowd except for the friends and family cheering along with barricades. No bottleneck like the year before. I ran across the finish line and looked at my watch - 51:59.7. I know I should be happy as I did get a personal best, but deep down, I wanted a sub 50 finish. I will keep plugging away with my speed work and try again next year.

The finish area is quite large for this race. As you cross the finish line, you continue walking across a large intersection to get to the finishers area where you are given your medal and family and friends can congratulate you. There was a lot more water,  eLoad samples, food and tons of porta potties. 

Overall, I think the race was much better organized this year. There were a lot more volunteers and they were all very cheery and helpful whenever  I asked any of them a question. The lineup for the shuttle buses to take us to public transit was fairly long, but moved quickly. Hubby and I were rushing to meet up with my parents to pick up the kids and then meeting up with my in laws for Mother's Day lunch. I highly recommend buying shuttle tickets when you register so that you will have your car waiting for you at the finish line. It would have saved us quite a bit of time. Register early for this race as there is a gift certificate incentive depending on when you register. 

Race Swag

Results 

Time - 51:59:7

Pace - 5:12

First 5km - 25:27

Second 5km - 26:34

Fuel Your Better - Vega Sport Recovery Accelerator Review

I seem to be constantly on the go. With two young kids and trying to train for a marathon with my crazy flying schedule, I am always trying to stay healthy and strong for my family. I was thrilled when I was selected to review Vega Sport Recovery Accelerator through my ambassadorship with Sweat Pink for the Fuel Your Better Campaign.

I have been running races every weekend since the end of April and maintaining my marathon training schedule along with the races. I received the Vega Recovery Accelerator right as I was going into the thick of racing. Last year, when I was training for my marathon, I was a on maternity leave so I had all the time I wanted to slot in my training. Now, I am back to a full flying schedule and still watching the kiddos when I'm not flying. I have to train smarter and maximize my recovery so that I can get back into training.

Vega Sport products are plant-based, dairy, gluten and soy free and contain no artificial flavours, colours or sweeteners. It was specifically developed to help athletes perform at their best-before, during and after training and competition. The ingredients are specifically selected to "replenish energy and electrolytes, reduce inflammation, muscle and joint pain, support immune system and protein synthesis and reduce recovery time between training". It could not have arrived at  a better time for me.

The box comes with 12 single packet servings which are super convenient if you are on the go and want to used them after a workout at the gym. For me, I pack them into my suitcase for me to consume after workouts on layovers. As per the packet, you add 1.5 cups of cold water to on packet of Recovery Accelerator and drink immediately after exercise. 

It comes in two flavours - Tropical and AppleBerry. I was sent Tropical to test and was eager to try it out immediately. I mixed it up as per the instructions after a long run and chugged it down. It tasted great. Recovery is an important part to training. If you cannot recover, you cannot train. They go hand in hand. I am not one for gimmicks or quick fixes. I still believe that rest and listening to your body is key, but after trying out this product, I will be adding it to my bag of goodies I incorporate into my training and recovery. 

I have taken the Recovery Accelerator after all my hard workouts. I have had them pre-made in my water bottle and packed it into my race bag so that I can consume it right after all my races.  I raced two half marathons and two 10km races for four consecutive weekends and continued training in between all those races. I do think the Recovery Accelerator helped with getting me recovered faster. I was able to train injury and pain free. 

Are you ready to #FuelYourBetter ? Head on over to the Vega Sport website and see their great selection of products. You can follow them on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. 

Have you tried any of the Vega Sport products? 

Do you take anything to aid in your recovery? What was your experience?

How do you Fuel Your Better?

Disclosure : I received Vega Sport Recovery Accelerator in exchange for my honest opinion as part of the Fuel Your Better Campaign by Vega Sport and Sweat Pink. All opinions are my own

Toronto Goodlife Half Marathon

My husband and his buddies started running a few years ago. They had registered to run this race as their first half marathon. I was super excited for all three of them. Fast forward to the night before the race. The kids had been sick for weeks and now hubby had caught whatever they had. He had picked up their race kits and was going to try to run, walk or crawl to the finish. I kindly asked him if that what how he wanted to remember his "first" half marathon.  He took a nap and when he woke up, decided that there was no way he was going to be able to run. He was hacking up a lung and dizzy from being so congested. It was too late for a bib transfer and I didn't want the bib to go to waste, so I decided to run for him.

I ran this race last year so I knew what to expect for the course. I decided that I was going for a sub 2:00 time and hoped to PB. 

My splits taped to my Garmin

I packed up quickly the night before and set up my gear. I had eaten terribly that day and for most of the week as I had not planned on racing a half marathon. I got up nice and early before the kids and headed out to meet up with hubby's friends and aim for a PB. It was going to be the guy's FIRST half marathon. I was super excited of them and wished them a great race.

I'm just one of the guys

The course is know to be fast and downhill, but they don't mention on pretty big hill you need to tackle at the 3km mark heading up to 4km. I walked it last year, but decided early on that I would try my best to stay on pace and run up the hill. Once I reached the top, my legs felt O.K, but not great. I continued on. I was glad that I taped my pace on to my watch because it really helped me stay on track. I can't say the rest of the course was downhill, but it was definitely scenic. I was trying to stay on pace, so I couldn't really grab my phone out for any selfies during this race. 

Coming into the finish line

It was another great day for a race. I stayed on mark with my splits and squeaked in right under 2 hours. It's a course PB for me, but not a half marathon PB. This is a great spring race with all different distances. I would like the run the full marathon one day as the medals are HUGE. As one of the guys put it, our half marathon medal is a coaster, the full one is a side plate.

Results 

5K - 28:36

10K - 56:60

15K - 1:25

FINISH -1:59:46.5

Pace - 5:41

The 'after' shot with our medals

Training for Marathon #2 - San Francisco Marathon

After finishing my first marathon last fall, I was already looking for another one to run. Yes, call me crazy, but I would rather use the word "passionate". I knew that I would be running another marathon in 2014 as my best bud and running buddy is turning the big 4-0 this year. We had decided on Athens, Greece which is in November.

My parents told me that they were planning a trip down to San Francisco to visit some old friends in the summer. I decided to look up races and it turns out that they were going to be there during the weekend of the San Francisco Marathon.  It didn't take me long to convince them that I would love tag along with my youngest and say hello to their friends. It was a win-win situation. They will be able to show off their grandchild and I would be able to run an awesome race along with free childcare.

San Francisco is one of my favourite cities in the USA. I had tried a few years with friends to get into the Nike SF race, but never got in, so I just figured I would run the actual San Francisco Marathon and get it out of my system. It looks like a gorgeous course that will take me through all of San Francisco and I will also get to run over the Golden Gate Bridge.

So, here I am sitting at my desk with my marathon plan. I will be using the plan that I used for my last marathon and hoping to improve. The SF race will be hilly, so I don't think I will be making a personal best on this course. I train on very flat suburban sidewalks. I will try to find some hills in my area to help me prepare for what is ahead of me. I am now 12 weeks away from race day and into week 3 of my training schedule. I am excited to train again. It has been a tough winter for training and I've already completed a few races up to now. I am curious to find out if having run these races will help me with the training or will tire me out as I am suppose to recover, but instead I am continuing on with the training plan.  It is one of the many things I am still learning on my running journey.

How do you decide on the races that you will participate in?

Do course elevations effect your decisions?

What is your dream race to run?

Mercedes-Benz Oakville 10km

This race was one of the many races that I had heard about through the running community. It takes place in the lovely Town of Oakville and is known for the one of a kind Mercedes-Benz medal and a chance to win a Mercedes-Benz.

It didn't take much for me to convince my hubby and fellow running friends to register for this race after I told them about the swag that they would receive for completing the race.  It also had races for children and a "Family Fun Zone" which would keep the kids busy while waiting for the parents to finish their races. I got a group of 6 runners and 3 kids (2 of them were mine) signed up for the early bird registration. I was going to sit this one out so that I could cheer on hubby and watch the kids while he ran. I was thrilled when I was contacted by the race organization and was generously given a bib. Racing gets expensive, especially when the whole family runs. I was so excited because I had always wanted all four of us to participate in a race as a family.

Group shot before the race

This was my first race with the whole family participating. I had to start planning a few days earlier as my kids are still little, my little guy is just 18 months and still a bit wobbly. The race was a bit of a trek for us, so kids meals and snacks were packed the night before and loaded into the car. I got up at 4 am to make some warm meals for the car ride and breakfast for hubby and I and do a last check on all the gear that was needed for the day. Thank goodness, grandma and grandpa agreed  to come watch the kids while hubby and I ran. We woke up the kiddies, threw them in the car half asleep and went to pick up the grandparents.

We parked in the designated lots and were shuttled into the race area. The race was starting and ending on the beautiful campus of Appleby College right along Lake Ontario. Our friend who owns a Mercedes-Benz got to park in the VIP lot and received extra goodie bag. There was race day pick up, which was a bonus as all of us live quite a distance away. The sun was shining and not a rain cloud in the sky. The kids were finally awake and ready to attack the "Family Fun Zone" which was hosted by the Appleby College Camp staff. I kissed the kids goodbye and hubby and I were off to run our 10K.

The happy couple

The emcee had a great sense of humour and got the crowd organized into our corrals. The gun went off and we were off. I tried to keep up with a speedy friend who was right in front of me but eventually lost him in the crowds. The 10K course was and out and back course which took us into some beautiful neighbourhoods with stunning views of Lake Ontario and through downtown Oakville. There were a number of people cheering along the way which helped motivate the runners. Some of the homes that I ran by were incredible and the view of the Lake was to die for.

Some fun selfies and seeing hubby on a turnaround

There are a few small hills which were reasonable to tackle and running into the college was a great way to finish. I collected my beautiful medal and went on to find my kids and get them ready for the Toddler Trot. The kids were excited to see us, but more excited to run their race. Their race was on a nice grassy field lined with loads of cheering family members and friends. Moms and dads lined up with their little ones to give them a little boost and get them to the finish line. They were greeted with mascots at the finish lines with their slap-on bracelet medals and fun loot bags.

It was the first time for my group to take part in the race and they all had a great time.  Thank you to all the volunteers and the great Appleby College Camp staff that kept the kids busy with fun activities.  We all plan on doing it again.  My daughter had a blast and shows off her "medal" to everyone she sees and is looking forward to another race. My little 18-month old was just happy to have had a chance to run with a crowd of other kids.  A special thanks for my in-laws for coming out to help watch the kids. We could not have run this race without their help. 

Race swag for Big and Little kids

Results

Category Place - 28/147

Gender Place - 74/437

Overall Place - 274/841

Gun time - 54:27.3

Chip time  - 53:50.2 a new PB

My Running Family Portrait

Have a Great Weekend ! 

Are you running any races this weekend? 

Do your kids run? Do you enter them into races?

How do you manage race day with the whole family?

Run for the Diamond - Uxbridge Half Marathon

I had chosen this race because it was not too far from home and it was one of the many races that I had heard good things. It is a nice local race in which proceeds go towards the local hospital.  I usually like to read up on races and go over the course before a race so that I can prepare myself mentally and try to visualize the race course.  But, it's been pretty crazy around here lately, so I didn't have a chance to do this and I also figured out it couldn't be any harder than the Around the Bay Road Race that I had ran a few weeks prior. I decided to look up race reports the night before and found out that it was a hilly race and would also take me onto some trails. Duh, what was I thinking Uxbridge is Canada's Trail Capital. Needless to say, I started to FREAK out!!! I had never run a trail race before and when I finally saw the elevation map of the course, I was just beside myself. It was too late, the race was the next day.

I decided to take it easy and just enjoy the race, but the competitive side in me was telling me to try to push myself. I completed my usual night before race routine by checking the weather, setting up my race gear and laying out my race outfit. I  wasn't going to have to leave at the crack of dawn because the race was only 40 minutes from home and I was going solo; no kids, no husband.

I started to notice all the rolling hills on the scenic drive up to Uxbridge. It was a bit chilly  (-3 Celsius) but the sun was out and it was going to be a great morning for a run. The race was starting and finishing at the Wooden Sticks Golf Course. I was able to pick up my race kit the morning of the race and get ready inside the warm clubhouse. One of the highlights of this race is the diamond giveaway. Every runner has a chance at winning a diamond from one of the sponsors. Unfortunately, I was not the lucky winner this year.

The drive up and start line selfie

I usually run races with my friends, but this one was a solo race. It was one of the smallest races I have taken part in. There were only 179 participants in the half marathon. This was nice as the start line was not jam packed with runners. The course took us out of the golf course and downhill onto some beautiful tree lined country roads for about 9 kms, into the trails for about 5kms, then linking up with the paths of the golf course for the last 7 kms and finishing in front of the clubhouse.

Action selfie in the trails

Since I had read about the course the night before, I tried to pace myself according. I had hoped for a sub 2 hour finish, but knew that it would not happen with the trails. I started with a good steady pace while on the country roads, but wanted to save myself for the trails and the hills that I would be facing. The air was crisp and fresh which is a nice change from racing in big cities. The road was lined will tall trees and the sun was peaking overhead. The roads were free and clear of cars and after the first few kilometres the runners got into their pace, I was running with only a few other people. Once we entered the trails, we had to run in single file and for most that part I was on my own. My pace slowed down quite a bit here as the trials were partially covered with ice.

I was a rookie to trail running, so I had to walk for some parts as the path was covered with ice and then there were some mud puddles to jump over. I decided to enjoy the scenery and try not to think about my time. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't going to wipe out or throw my back out while trying to get good footing on the trails.  It was great to finally hit the paved cart paths of the golf course, but there were even more hills on the path then on the trails. The ups and downs on the winding paths seemed to be never ending. I looked down at my watch at 20km and I knew I wasn't going to make my sub 2:00, I felt a bit defeated, but stared down the last hill up to the finish line and gave it all I had.

Coming up the hill for the finish

Instead of bagel and bananas, all runners were welcomed into the clubhouse for a buffet style meal. I piled my plate up with goodies and sat down to enjoy my post race meal. It was so nice to be able to sit at a table and eat properly immediately after racing.

This was a challenging course but the scenic views are worth every hill I hit. I would definitely do this race again.  

Results

Category Place - 5/28

Gender Place - 20/76

Overall Place - 87/129

Finish - Gun time - 2:03:40:1

             Chip time - 2:03:31:3

Have a Fantastic Week!

Have you run any trail races?

A Family Affair

Happy Monday. It's Boston Monday! 

Runners and non-runners around the world will have their eyes focused on Boston this year. Good luck to all those running this year. 

Ever since I started running I had hoped that my family would join me one day and that day is quickly approaching. My daughter will be running her first event at the Mercedes-Benz Oakville 10K Race this Sunday April 27.  She has been talking about this day to all who will listen and has already chosen her race day outfit. 

I had first heard about this race a few years ago from my running mentors. They had told me that it was a scenic course, the medals were one of a kind and there was a chance of winning a Mercedes-Benz.  I had put it on my bucket lists of races to run. I was even more excited to find out that there was a 'Family Fun Zone' to keep the kids busy and races for children from 1 year old and up. 

I had all my friends, husband and daughter sign up for the race and I was going to be their personal cheerleader this year. To my surprise, I was contacted by the race organization and was generously given a bib to participate in the 10k. I am thrilled as I will be able to run alongside my husband and our many friends. I will also be that crazy running mommy cheering my little one to the finish. I am looking forward to some warmer weather and having the whole family out for what looks to be a great weekend for running.

Have a Fantastic week.

Do you enter your children into races? 

Is running a family affair for you?

Around the Bay Road Race 30KM

The Around the Bay Road race is a bucket list race  as it prides itself on being the oldest race in North America, "older than Boston. It is a great spring race to start of the racing season or if you are planning to run a spring marathon.

This year was the first year that I ran the full 30 kilometres. In the past I have ran the 2 and 3 persons relay and had a great time in both races. The course was changed this year due to a train crossing that made runners stop last year and wait for it to pass.  With the change, it meant a few more hills.

I can't say that I've been able to train much this past winter. It has been a tough trying to find the motivation to get outside and the thought of the treadmill is just depressing. I am fortunate to be able to get away on my layovers to some warmer destinations, however with the jet lag, I am definitely not at my best. My goal at this point was to finish the race. I knew that there were going to be quite a number of hills to tackle and I just hate hills. I'm thinking that these hills will be nothing in comparison to what I may battle at the San Francisco marathon later this summer.

Elevation from my Garmin

It was perfect day to run, the temperature was 7 degrees with a light breeze and the sun was peaking through the clouds. I had driven in with my run buddy Karen and met up with our friend Richard who was running Around the Bay for the first time.

I had decided to take it easy on the race as I had not run this distance since the summer and had only done a 27km long run a few weeks prior. After reading a few race reports from previous years and looking at the map, I knew I would have to race smart to finish well.

I had decided to break the race into 3 sets of 10km and start off the race with an easy pace for the first 10km. The first 10 km was not what I had remembered as I had run the first 15 km of the race a few years ago.  There were a few more hills than I recalled and took them all in stride. I tried to keep at a 6:00 minute pace for the first 10km which I think was totally reasonable considering my lack in training. Once the crowd thinned out I was able to settle into my pace.

Once I hit the first exchange point at the 10km mark, I decided to try to pick it up a little bit as I knew it would be a tad flatter than the first 10km. I was starting to get warm as the sun was finally out and shining bright. I found this section quick relaxing as I had settled into a comfortable pace and had a beautiful view of Lake Ontario beside me up to the 17km turning point. 

Staying strong for a good finish

I knew I had to run smart as the last 10km would be the most challenging. My first ever experience with this race was running the last 10km of the race, so I knew what was ahead of me. As I was nearing the 20km mark, it was all coming back to me.  I pushed on and tried to use every downhill to my advantage as I knew there was one huge hill at the end before coming up to the 27km mark that I had seen on the drive in. I gave the hill all I had a ran up without stopping until it seemed like I was crawling to the top. When I finally made it up to the top, I knew it would be somewhat easy considering what I had just gone through. A fellow runner asked me at this point if there were any hills left and I thankfully yelled "no more hill, flat to the end". I was looking forward to seeing the Grimm reaper and running into FirstOntario Centre. With 3km left to go, I pushed with all I had.

Finish inside the Centre is the highlight of this race

I feel like I ran a fairly conservative race. I wasn't completely spent after the race and was still able to walk and joke around with my run buddy.  I now feel like I could have pushed a bit more. I'm happy that I finished. I hope to run this again next year and will have a new game plan and hopefully more training under me.

Results:

Category Place -  235/492

Gender Place - 1537/3305

10KM - 1:01:35

15KM - 1:31:17

20KM - 2:01:02

Finish - Gun time - 3:11:33:8

             Chip time - 3:02:44

Pace 6:06

Group shot and medal selfie

Great Race Swag

Thanks for reading :)

How has your race season started?  Any Personal Bests? How has winter training been for you?

Do you have any Races coming up?

St. Patrick's Day 5km

I started off my 2014 race season with the coldest race I have ever ran.  I had convinced my friends and husband to run this race with me as it was a day after my husbands birthday and you would also get beer and chilli at the end of the race.

Hubs and I at start line

When we signed up for the race in early January we were thinking that it would be somewhat warm and spring like by March 16th, but boy were we ever wrong. The temperature was -20 degrees celcius  when we woke and there was no way it was going to be warming up anytime soon. 

The race was starting right by the Steam Whistle Brewery which was also where the finish would be. Everyone running seemed to be huddling together inside the brewery. My toes were still frozen from the drive down and I was starting to think that I was going to lose them. It was a fairy small race with 1120 participants and took you through the downtown core of Toronto.

I started the race off with a fairly good pace but my right leg cramped after the first kilometre, then my shoelace got undone. My feet were still frozen and I wasn't sure how bad the cramp was as my leg and I wasn't even sure which muscle was affected. I stopped off the the side to tie my shoelace, but my fingers were frozen so it took me a couple of tries before I was able to tie the laces. I figured the cramp was in my right calf and decided to try to run through it. My run buddy came up from behind and saw me hobbling and asked if I was o.k and I just winced in pain and told her that my leg had cramped up, but to go ahead. After running another 2 kilometres, my cramp seemed to go down. I tried to pick up the pace and get a decent finish. Thank goodness it was only a 5km race, I sucked it up for the last 2 kilometres and pushed ahead. I knew that warmth and the finish line was just around the corner.

Results:

27:28.7
Pace 5:30
Category place - 44/231
Gender Pace - 100/634

Enjoying my post race Green Beer

I hobbled away from the race with a few lessons learned. Warm up properly for a race no matter the distance especially when it's FREEZING. I will stretch from now on and try to make sure all my appendages are warmed up before starting the race and no matter how cold it is, I will put one foot in front of the other and power on.

Our Medal

What is the coldest race you ever ran?

Have you ever had any race stopping injuries and how did you handle it?